Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar

Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar is president of the Chile Nature Fund and member of the Board of Directors of ENGIE Chile and CAP S.A. She served as Chile’s Minister of Environment from 2018 to 2021 and as President of the UN Climate Change Conference COP25. During her tenure as Minister of the Environment, Chile became the first developing country to enshrine a 2050 carbon neutrality goal into law. She spearheaded the transition to a circular economy, passing the law banning single-use plastics and developing key national strategies on circular economy, organic waste, and extended producer responsibility. Schmidt also led the creation of over 40 new protected areas—safeguarding more than 280,000 hectares of wetlands—and launched Chile’s first Environmental Fund and donation law for nature to boost conservation finance. As COP25 President, she worked with the UNFCCC, and UNDP to launch the Climate Ambition Alliance, the largest global coalition for carbon neutrality. Schmidt previously served as Chile’s Minister of Education and Minister of Women Affairs, and held leadership roles in the private sector as CEO of major media and consumer goods companies. She holds a business degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and holds a major in business from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.